


five years later

by ballerinaroy



Series: together or not at all [16]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Career Change, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22696846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ballerinaroy/pseuds/ballerinaroy
Summary: When Harry disappears amidst the five-year anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, Ron and Hermione track him down.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Ron Weasley
Series: together or not at all [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1632493
Comments: 6
Kudos: 240





	five years later

They found him at last after several minutes of frantic searching, having wandered down to the lake, half-obscured by a tree. Though he was flooded with relief, Ron knew better than to shout out or admonish him. Instead, he looked over at Hermione, who’d been just as anxious all day, and took her hand to help her down the slight slope.

Harry looked up at them when they were feet away and nodded his head at them and they followed, even further away from the castle and all its people, gathered to mourn and celebrate the day that had nearly ruined them all. They came to rest by a tree which seemed as insignificant as the rest, but Harry seemed satisfied with it and stopped, sitting down on the ground.

They joined him, flanking either side and Ron reached for Hermione’s hand behind his back. It was like that they spent several peaceful minutes, waves lapping gently against the shore in the setting sun. In that moment of tranquility, it was easy to forget, pretend it was a day like any other. Just the three of them, enjoying the afternoon sun on their faces.

“Feels like yesterday,” Harry muttered. “Like no time has passed at all.”

The spell of the moment broken, he remembered. Who they were and why they were there. Five years since the night had become dawn and the war had been won.

“Do you remember the last time we were here?” Harry went on.

Ron looked at Hermione but she wore an equally puzzled expression.

“This spot?” he asked.

Harry nodded, “Six years ago, after Dumbledore’s funeral, I told you I was going off to hunt Horcruxes and you said you’d be with me. The Dursley’s and whatever came after that.” At last, he looked over at them. “Do you remember?”

And the memory, though faint, came to him and he could hear himself saying the words Harry was saying all those years ago. Ron smiled and nodded, “Of course.” 

Harry let out a soft breath but wasn’t done. “Do you ever regret it?”

“Never,” Ron said at once. But Harry didn’t look entirely convinced.

“Harry,” Hermione said quietly and he turned to look at her. “Not once, ever. If you asked me again today nothing will have changed. I wish you’d believe us when we said it.”

Harry nodded.

“But if we have to keep saying it then we will.” Ron murmured. “Every day if that’s what it takes.”

“Thanks,” Harry whispered. He’d seen Harry, known him for so long that he could feel a great profession coming on.

“Do you ever think about quitting?” Harry asked quietly.

And this time Ron knew exactly what he was talking about. He’d thought about it too and increasingly as of late. They’d become Aurors because that’s what the world had needed, what they had needed to do. A desire to see it through to the end. But most were behind bars and those who weren’t were so deep in hiding Ron doubted they’d ever be found.

“Yeah,” Ron confessed. “Sometimes.”

Their careers, while still dangerous, were no longer as exciting; the lure of George’s shop, or even having a go within Magical Games became more appealing with each day.

“What would you do?” Hermione asked softly and when Ron looked over she’d laid her head on Harry’s shoulder.

“I dunno,” Harry said, but Ron thought that might not be entirely truthful. “Being back here, as painful as it is, made me realize how much I miss it, Hogwarts.”

Perhaps he should have felt more surprised, but there was something so natural about the notion of Harry coming back.

“There’s a Defense Against the Dark Arts post opening up,” Hermione said carefully. “I overheard McGonagall asking Gawain if he knew anyone.”

“Defense Against the Dark Arts?” Harry asked, surprised. “I don’t know about that. I was thinking flying or something.”

Ron made a noise of disbelief. “What and waste all those skills you developed, getting us through our O.W.L.s? Our whole generation owes our patroness to you.”

Harry frowned, still looking doubtful. “The position is cursed you know. No one’s made it more than a year, even now.”

Hermione tutted,“I doubt it, people are just still paranoid. It’s not like anyone has _died._ ”

“Or had their memory erased,” Ron went on, “Or been outed as werwolf. Or-“

“Alright, fair enough,” Harry said, and Ron could hear his grin in his voice. “You really think I could do it?”

“Of course,” Ron urged him and Hermione said, “There’d be no one better.”

A smile spread across his face as Hermione leaned over, kissing his cheek. He stayed like that, smiling to himself for several moments and then, suddenly his smile disappeared. “I might have to stay at the castle.”

Ron’s heart fell a little too at the prospect. He knew he was spoiled, living and working together with Harry. It was why he’d never pursued anything else, not wanting to disrupt what they had.

“Not all professors do,” Hermione told him at once. “Professor Victor never did.”

Ron had never known any professors didn’t reside at the school but wasn’t about to say so.

“The Heads of Houses have to,” Hermione went on, “As apart of their position, but a lot of Professors went into Hogsmeade whenever they wanted." 

“That’s true,” Harry said, looking a little happier about it.

“We’ll make it work,” Ron assured him, not wanting to let Harry’s dream die so quickly and on account of them. “We live close enough to floo to the castle anyway.”

Indeed it was how they’d gotten there that morning, not wanting to be accosted in the village and trying to keep as much privacy as they could for the emotional event.

“So there’d be lots of opportunities to live out all those quidditch changing room fantasies you’ve had,” Ron teased and Harry blushed but didn’t deny it.

“Ron,” Hermione said sternly.

“And all those library ones of yours,” Ron said, knowing that wasn’t what she’d meant. Her eyes flew open but before she could shout at him-

“You’d really be okay with it?” Harry asked of them both and Hermione was forced to nod.

“Of course mate, we’d be okay with anything that made you happy,” Ron told him and at last, Harry relaxed, leaning back against Ron’s arm and laying his head on Ron’s shoulder.

“I think then we should stay out here for a while.” He said, sounding worn as Ron kissed the top of Harry’s head.

And Ron wouldn’t’ve minded them staying like that forever.


End file.
